As reported in April, Huntsville chef James Boyce and his wife and business partner, Suzan, are taking over operation of the Ed Hardin-owned Birmingham restaurant, and they are changing the name and the menu while also giving the space a redesign that will respect its 106-year-old history but enhance it with modern Southern touches.

First things first, though.

For the name, the Boyces have chosen Galley & Garden.

The galley is the kitchen, which will be visible from the redesigned dining room, and the garden is a newly landscaped space where guests will be able to mingle and dine outdoors.

"For us, it came naturally," James Boyce told AL.com. "The gallery is the kitchen, and it really is the focal point of what we do. And the garden, obviously, a lot of people draw reflections of where we get our produce, who we support, and how it all comes together.

"We are bringing in a landscape architect who is going to help us make the front very inviting, a place to have drinks in the garden and we'll have some herb boxes, as well."

The Veranda on Highland will remain open indefinitely, he said, but the restaurant will close during the heaviest part of the construction project. Boyce said he hopes to have Galley & Garden open by September.

"It's got to be done in phases because everything that is going to happen can't happen all at one time," he said. "We are reflowing the whole building. . . .

"There are a lot of variables when you have a building that is that old, so we have to be very careful about it."

The restaurant is located at 2220 Highland Avenue in what was once known as the Merritt House, which was built in 1908.

The Galley & Garden menu will feature modern American-French cuisine with Southern influences, including such signature dishes as grilled romaine with ruby red prawns, herb-crusted king salmon, Maine lobster tail, and bourbon-and-honey-cured duck breast. For photos of some of the dishes, click on the slideshow at the top of this story,or go here.

Boyce and his wife own three restaurants in Huntsville – Cotton Row, Commerce Kitchen and Pane e Vino Pizzeria – and Galley & Garden will be their first in Birmingham.

"For us, it was logical," he said in an earlier interview with AL.com. "It's close to where we are now. Plus, the area you have is filled with great chefs. It's a food city, and we hear so much about it. We've entertained the idea (of opening a Birmingham restaurant) for the past couple of years."

Galley & Garden will be open for lunch and dinner Mondays through Saturdays and for brunch on Sundays.